


I think we're Alone Now

by Chibi_Twan



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Allison Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Drug Use, Drug Withdrawal, Dysfunctional Family, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family Bonding, Gen, Good Sibling Luther Hargreeves, Good Sibling Number Six | Ben Hargreeves, He is trying to fix it, Hurt Luther Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Luther Hargreeves Has a Human Body, Luther Hargreeves Knows He Fucked Up, Luther Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Luther Hargreeves Protects His Siblings, Luther Hargreeves protection squad, Luther Hargreeves-centric, Luther travels to 2007, No Incest, No Way in Hell am I writing That, Number Five | The Boy and Luther Hargreeves are Twins, Number Six | Ben Hargreeves Needs a Hug, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Protective Luther Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Self-Esteem Issues, Sibling Bonding, Slow To Update, Time Travel, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28972065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibi_Twan/pseuds/Chibi_Twan
Summary: Leaving the sixties should have been the end, instead, Luther finds himself trapped in 2007 with none of the others with him.(AKA we have a Luther time-travel story! Where stopping the apocalypse is now up to Number One, the only one to return from the sixties.)
Relationships: Luther Hargreeves & The Hargreeves
Comments: 26
Kudos: 70





	1. Fly Me to the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I am not sure about this story. I mainly focus on Five's character, I don't think I've written just Luther before? Idk, either way, I am going to give this story a shot! Expect Luther to be out of character, I'm mainly writing this because I saw a lot of Luther Hate on Tumblr and it just made me feel really protective of Luther. Did he fuck up? Yeah. So did the others in the show and I'm pretty sure he has a form of Stockholm syndrome toward Reginald.  
> I'm more used to writing text fics so... yeah. Let me know if I have any spelling mistakes? Please?

The moment they all hold hands, mimicking their exact stances from when took them away from the last Apocolypse, Luther had a gut feeling. 

It was a bad feeling too, the kind that snuck up on you. The one where you knew it was there all along but didn’t notice until it was too late to do anything about it. He noticed it just as Five opens the suitcase Herb and that lady told them to take from any of the downed Commission agents laying throughout the farm. Luther didn’t know what was supposed to happen, but based on the panicked look that took over Five’s face, the suitcase sparking and giving off a loud grinding noise was not it. Had this happened to him years ago, before Five returned and before getting dumped in the sixties, he would be panicking. Right now he was— still panicking, but at least he had some sort of idea what was going on. 

Five said that he was going to take them all home, which they were. Technically. When Five said they were going home Luther assumed he meant 2019… not 2007. 

Despite the year not being what any of them intended, at least Five got him back to the Academy. A clumsy sprint through the house showed Grace at her charging station and that's it. Five did it. They were back! Though at the moment it seemed as though he was the only one at the house. He wanted to believe that the others wouldn’t go out and leave him at the house but he knew that was something they would do. The calendar hanging up in the kitchen was enough proof that they successfully jumped forward in time. He couldn’t blame the others for going out and probably checking if anything has changed since they returned. Luther moved slowly, carefully watching his steps. Somehow he had his body back. When he woke up in his bedroom and saw how… how small he was now, he screamed. Thankfully not a loud scream, though he knew that any cameras that were still up and running at this point in time would have definitely picked up on it. It's not as though the change scared him, if anything he was excited about it. It just startled him. He felt like a stranger, to himself.

Five never mentioned anything about possibly getting his old body back. While he hated what he became, he had grown used to it. 

So suddenly losing over half his body mass made it hard to remember how to walk without worrying about hitting into things. The good news is he's only tripped twice, and he’s already getting better at moving around without taking too large of steps. Though his arm and hip were throbbing from tripping in the hall and bashing his hip into one of the decorative tables with a vase on it. All he had to do was move slower and focus on how much force he put into moving each of his limbs. Easy. He had to do the same as this after the accident and realizing how his body changed. 

From what he could tell as he made his way around, nothing around the house seemed to have changed.

The furniture and placings of everything all seemed the same. A quick glance into his siblings’ bedrooms showed that they looked the same as when they were all teenagers which made sense considering what year it was. What bothered him was seeing the bits of broken plaster stuck in the grooves of Klaus’s bedroom floor. He knew where they were from. The day after their eighteenth birthday Klaus had knocked down the wall separating his and Vanya’s rooms, to make his room bigger.

Luther knows that after Grace realizes how messy Klaus’s room is she will clean everything, including the plaster.

Officially wiping away the last reminder he has in the house that his siblings were ever there, to begin with. Clearing his throat, Luther quickly shut the door to Klaus’s room and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He made himself a turkey sandwich and settled in at the table. Thinking to himself as he let his eyes wander around the room. He knew where Grace was at the moment, he just wasn’t sure where Pogo or Dad was. It’s been years since he lived through 2007, he could barely remember anything outside of how lonely it was without any of the others there.

At least he has a vague idea of what happened. He didn't need to run himself into the ground trying to figure everything out. Instead, he knew enough to tell that this wasn't a dream or some sort of drug-induced hallucination. He knew where… more importantly _ when  _ he was. November fifteenth of 2007. Not even a full year after Ben died. In their original timeline, Diego and Vanya both left the Academy the night of their eighteenth birthday. Allison left November second, and if he is recalling everything right then Dad kicked Klaus out a few days ago. 

This time definitely wasn't where Five planned on bringing any of them, and the fact that he was the only one here? He hopes that his earlier theory was the correct one. That the others all came here too and they were just out at the moment… he really hopes that’s it and not that something similar to last time might have happened. Oh, that would explain why his body was like this. This could probably just because a decimal point is in the wrong place. Like Five said to his ol-younger self, that one decimal point was what caused him to come back as a thirteen-year-old rather than his fifty-eight-year-old self.

He may be separated from the others for now but they were bound to show up sooner or later. Five was the one who came and gathered them all up last time, he’ll do it again this time.

He just had to wait for them to come back to the Academy.


	2. Mad World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Tom Hopper 🎉

While he was always the only one of them that dad would praise for his patience… Luther lasted all of three hours at the kitchen table before he found himself practically sprinting outside. For some reason, the silence throughout the house was getting to him. You would think after living for years without his siblings, he would get used to the silence. Yet, just a few days with brief interactions between them left him yearning for more. He missed them. All those years after everyone first left the Academy he wished for them to return, every second of every day. Not knowing where any of them are right now… left him struggling to take a deep breath. Something hot and tight wrapping itself around his lungs. He needed to see them. To see for himself and know that they're all okay. As much as he wanted to see Allison first, he couldn't remember if she was even in the same state right now. She was his best friend, if anyone could ease his worries it would be her.

While he does have a significant amount of money saved up over the years, he's not exactly comfortable with hopping on a plane when he doesn't even know for sure that everyone isn't here.

As unlikely as it may seem, there was still a chance that everyone else traveled through time as well.

There was still a chance that they were all just out at the moment and would be back at the Academy later.

Since it's 2007, and they would be eighteen right now, that means Diego is in the police academy and Vanya should be living in a student dorm at the local performing arts school. It was something that she was accepted into when they were sixteen. She never bothered with moving into the dorms until after they all became legal adults. Luther had a feeling it was so that she didn't need dad's permission or signature with anything. So Allison, Diego, and Vanya were all off the list of visiting options. That left Klaus.

Klaus, who… he had absolutely no idea where he was. 

After their dad kicked him out of the house Klaus just up and vanished. Luther never heard from Klaus until the day of dad's funeral. He knows that Diego and Klaus apparently kept in contact but he couldn't just go over to the police academy, which he didn't even know where it was located, and ask Diego where Klaus has been staying. Then again, it's only been a few days since Klaus was kicked out and Luther knows that Klaus did not have a job or any savings.

Should he go check the local homeless shelters?

Would Klaus even go to one of those?

The only reason why he wasn't sure if he wanted to find Klaus or not was because seeing Klaus would mean possibly having to see Ben. Well. Not see him, more like overhear Klaus talking to thin air and attempt to figure out if it's Ben's ghost he is talking to or someone else entirely. Huffing, Luther slowly walked down the street. Taking the time to walk past every alley and peak in through windows just in case there was a chance Klaus was inside somewhere.

He couldn't help but notice how everyone seemed to be staring at him. Was it his outfit? He didn't have the Academy uniform on… it's 2007, the Umbrella Academy hasn't been in the media ever since Ben— ever since that mission went wrong almost a year ago... there's a good chance that they recognized him then... Or maybe there was something on his face, he did just stuff the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and took off outside. Hunching slightly, Luther quickly lowered his eyes to avoid meeting anyone's gaze.

He needed to find Klaus. He wanted to find him and yet he was overcome with an overwhelming urge to run back to the academy and hide indoors. Luther shook his head sharply, scowling down at his shoes. This is ridiculous. All he was doing was walking around, why was this bothering him so much? At some point throughout his walk, it had started to rain. He didn't notice this until it started to pick up and he finally felt the rain seeping through his jacket. Picking up the pace, Luther jogged past an alley, about to head around the corner and wait inside the shop there when a low groan reached his ears. Freezing in place, Luther retraced his steps and hovered in the mouth of the alley. He wasn't sure why he was hesitating, someone might be in trouble. He just– he knew he needed to help them, he wanted to help them. He just didn't want to have to deal with being sociable right now.

It was the sound of something, of someone, falling down that Luther mentally berated himself as he rushed into the alley.

It didn't matter if he doesn't want to talk to someone, if someone needs his help, then he needs to go help them. No if, and, or buts. 

He was glad that it wasn't too late into the afternoon, there was enough daylight for him to see into the alley.

Other than trash and empty bottles pushed off to the side, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Luther noticed a shoe partially sticking out from the other side of the dumpster. Lurching forward, Luther quickly made his way over to the dumpster and hesitated only after seeing that it was a teenager, seemingly asleep. He looked them over quickly, taking in the jeans ripped at the knees. The dark pink shirt seemed a few sizes too large and finally, Luther’s eyes landed on the person’s face. That face. It took Luther a moment to realize that the odd sound he just heard had come from himself. While there was a significant lack of wrinkles, those dark bags under his eyes… The hair was shorter than he remembered but Luther would never forget that curly hair. Luther quickly glanced down at the person’s hands, their wrist as well. He needed to be sure. He had to be su-

Luther froze, there weren’t any tattoos on the man’s palm, either of them. However, the Umbrella Academy’s signature tattoo was there in plain sight. “...Klaus?”

The man's’, No. Klaus, it’s Klaus, eyes fluttered but did not open.

Klaus must not have gotten his tattoos just yet. Luther dropped to his knees, Neither caring nor paying attention as the rainwater on the asphalt quickly began to seep into his jeans. Instead, he focused on the rise and fall of his brother’s chest, not breathing a sigh of relief until after his fingers pressed down against clammy skin and confirmed a somewhat erratic but strong pulse. Frowning, Luther sat back on his heels, giving Klaus a once-over once more, his eyes immediately noticing how there wasn’t a single part of Klaus that was dry. So, his brother got caught up in the rain too… shifting around, Luther reached behind him and pulled Klaus’s arms up over his shoulders before hitching his legs up around his hips. He didn’t have a plan in mind other than getting Klaus off the dirty ground and out of this rain.

Only… they couldn’t go back to the Academy. Not while dad was still alive, there was no way in hell he would let Luther bring Klaus inside. Pogo might, but then he would just tell dad afterward.

Klaus mumbled something before burying his face into Luther’s shoulder, causing him to smile faintly. He was just glad his brother wasn’t drunk. He did not want a repeat of when he had to carry Five back from the library. Getting thrown up on was not an experience he wanted to repeat. Ever. If he was remembering correctly then there should be an empty apart complex nearby, it’s not scheduled for demolition until after new years. They could go there and wait for the rain to stop. For some reason, having Klaus with him made it easier to walk through the streets. It no longer felt like everybody and anybody was staring at him, right now, it just felt like when they were kids and he had to carry an exhausted Klaus back home from Griddy’s.

Was Ben here? Did he hang around Klaus all the time or just whenever he felt like it? Should-Should he say something? Or did Ben want some peace and quiet? What should he say anyway? He still didn’t know if the Klaus and Ben that were here, in this moment, were his Klaus and Ben or the past versions of his brothers. He shouldn’t mention anything about the Commission or time travel but maybe… maybe saying where they’re going would be fine?

“We’re heading to the apartment complex. The one scheduled to get torn down, I can get us inside easily enough,” Luther gently shrugged, careful not to move Klaus, “We can wait in there until the rain eases up. Plus this way we won’t have to deal with anyone staring…” He flushed as he realized he had paused to hear Ben’s reply, “Er, I-I don’t know why you chose to go to an alley of all things. You g-uh, you should have found yourself some cover, I hope you don’t get sick from this.”

What if Klaus did get sick?

Luther quickly pushed that thought away. He did not want to focus on the wrong things right now. First, they needed shelter and then some way to dry their clothes, after that he could worry about whether or not Klaus got himself sick.

It wasn’t too hard getting into the building, all he needed to do was avoid getting seen and stay as quiet as possible while sneaking past the few security guards hanging around the site. He assumed they were there to make sure no one trespassed or anything which… they weren’t very good at their jobs. Luther carried Klaus up to one of the second level rooms, leaving him in what looked like a studio apartment. 

The residents from this building only recently moved out, maybe if he looked around in the other rooms he could see if anyone left behind some clothes or a blanket. Anything that he could use to warm Klaus up before he catches a cold.

It took him a bit longer than he thought it would to find something in one of the rooms, he wound up having to go to an apartment further down the hall. He was just glad that he found a hoodie and mismatched socks. They weren't giving off any sort of smell so he assumed they were clean. At least they were dry, getting Klaus out of those wet clothes and into the hoodie and socks would at least help warm his brother up. Though Luther wasn't sure if he should try changing Klaus or just wait for him to wake up and do it himself… it is weird to have someone change you while you're unconscious, right? Luther frowned to himself, gently pushing the apartment door open to avoid making too much noise as he went back inside. Klaus didn't seem to be awake just yet.

By the looks of it, Klaus really did need whatever sleep he could get. However, Luther wasn't comfortable with the idea of changing him and if anything, Klaus could just go back to sleep after getting changed out of his wet clothes. Luther set the clothes down on the kitchen counter before making his way over to Klaus and grasping his shoulder to shake him awake.

"Klaus, Klaus come on. If you're really that tired you can go back to sleep after you get changed. Time to wake up! You're going to get sick if you stay in those clothes."

Nothing. Sighing, Luther leaned back a bit and cupped his hands around his mouth, "Klaus! Klaus, wake up!"

Klaus gave a full body flinch, his eyes flying open and darting around the room. At first he glanced over Luther, not even stopping to look at him but then he did a double take.

"Wh- What the hell?" Klaus gaped at him, "So! Dear brother of mine… Uhh, don't get me wrong, it's nice to see you and all, but where the hell am I?"

"You were asleep in an alley and it started raining so I brought you inside so we can just wait here until it stops raining."

"Uh-huh, and where is here?"

"Err, you remember that mission we had a few years ago? The one with a hostage situation on the roof of the apartment complex a few blocks from the academy?"

"Yeeeeah?"

"Well, we're at that complex."

Klaus looked around them, slower this time as he really took in their surroundings, "Why's it so empty? Is this your apartment?"

"What?" Luther blinked, "Oh! No, no. I was just taking a walk when I found you. This complex is scheduled for demolition in a few months but it was the only place that I figured we could go without anyone trying to question us."

Klaus glanced off to the side, head tilted and seemingly listening to thin air. Luther assumed he must be talking to Ben or maybe another ghost though he doubted that. It took a few minutes of silence before Klaus finally looked back at him and Luther wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do in this situation. So he quickly stood back up and grabbed the hoodie from the counter, he tossed it over to Klaus before turning and picking up the socks.

"Get changed into that and I have some socks for you too."

Klaus gave him a weird look but thankfully didn't stop to ask any questions or try arguing with him.

Luther looked away and waited until Klaus cleared his throat before turning back around and passing him the socks.

"Lime green and brown? Uh, that's some… some color choice."

Klaus was visibly fighting down the urge to laugh causing Luther to scowl.

"They're not mine! I just grabbed whatever I could find."

"Okay, okay sorry," Klaus grinned, rocking back on his heels, "So! I'm guessing you still live with dear ol' daddy?"

"Uh, y-yeah." Luther cleared his throat.

Klaus… Klaus hasn't mentioned anything about what happened in the 60s or back in 2019. Did this mean he didn't remember or was he waiting for Luther to mention it first?

How was he supposed to bring it up without sounding like he lost his mind?


	3. Let it be– Or not

"Uh…"

Klaus stared at him and Luther, honest to God did not know what to do. Should he try to mention Dallas? Or the swedes? How would he reference anything that happened without outwardly saying exactly what happened? Should he just try asking if Klaus knew where the others were at? But what if this was just a past version of Klaus? Asking him about the others might just make him upset or mad at him… 

Nervously clearing his throat, Luther quickly asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

"What?"

"You… it was raining when I found you and you were pretty out of it, uh, are-are you sick? Or do you think you're going to get sick?"

Klaus didn't respond, instead he just stared at him with a unreadable look on his face and Luther honestly wasn't sure what to do at this point. God, was he going to get used to seeing his brother look so young? It was more unnerving than he wanted to admit. A few minutes passed with neither of them saying a word, in fact, the only reason why the silence didn't continue was because Klaus sneezed multiple times in a row. He hastily shoved off his still damp jacket and flung it over Klaus’s head.

"W-Hey!" 

"It's not that wet, it'll dry quicker than your clothes so if the hoodie isn't enough just put my jacket on top."

Klaus started muttering under his breath and at some point Luther had a feeling that his brother wasn't even talking to him anymore. That was fine. He didn't know what to talk about anyway. He'd been hoping that Klaus would just blurt out something– _anything_ about traveling through time and all that, but surprisingly enough Klaus has been mostly silent after waking up. Well, he hasn't said much to Luther but he seemed perfectly content to talk to himself and whoever's ghost he was seeing. He really hoped it was Ben. Even if he couldn't talk to him, just knowing if Ben was there with them would've taken a weight off his chest. He noticed it earlier back at the Academy, not knowing where the rest of his siblings were was honestly worrying him. If these were all the past versions of his siblings then he shouldn't have to worry too much… hopefully though if he waited long enough then his siblings from the '60s will arrive sooner or later. Who knows, maybe Klaus will wind up remembering once his future–? Past? This is getting too confusing. The current Klaus standing before him, maybe he will remember everything that happened with both the apocalypses once the version of his brother that he was with just hours ago arrived in this time. Maybe this was just a waiting game, and he had to be in it for the long run. That's perfectly fine with him. He can find a way to bide his time and wait for the others to get here.

Klaus finally managed to pull the jacket on top of the hoodie and glared at Luther, "I'm not going to get sick! It was just a little rain-"

"Which you were out in for who knows how long."

"-not the point… So, what were you doing outside? Running errands for Daddio or were you on your way home from a mission?" Klaus's brow furrowed, "Wait, is he even still sending you on missions?"

Luther barely kept himself from flinching. Missions. He… he was still running missions for dad wasn't he? It was 2007, that meant he still had a few more years before dad would send him on that mission to the chemical plant. Could… could he change that? Could he keep it from happening and stop dad from ever turning him into that— that monster? He must have had some type of look on his face because Klaus stared at him in alarm and suddenly lurched toward him.

"What did he do? Are… are you okay? Shit, are you hurt? I am in no way equipped to deal with injuries!"

Mentally cursing himself for causing Klaus to panic over nothing, Luther made sure to catch his brother's gaze before smiling as wide as he can–trying not to let his confusion show either as Klaus reared back, as though struck. "I'm fine! N-No missions at the moment. I'm not hurt either. I was just… out for a walk."

"...in the rain."

"It wasn't raining when I left."

"And dear old dad just let you go out?" Klaus asked incredulously.

Luther hid a wince. Klaus had every right to not believe him. Even when they were younger, on the rare day off that Dad gave them from training, they were never allowed to go outside unless he accompanied them.

Why the hell was this so awkward? Klaus is his brother! He should be able to have a conversation with him without constantly scrambling to think of a topic.

Sighing light, Luther looked past Klaus toward one of the windows in the room. It was still raining outside but… "Are you hungry?"

"What?"

"Are you hungry? It's still raining outside so you should probably just wait here but I can go pick up some food for us, if you want?"

He really hoped Klaus said yes. He wasn't prepared to leave just yet. Back in the sixties they barely had any time together before they found themselves fighting for their lives. Sure he managed to hang out for a couple of hours with Allison and then again later on with Diego but the only times all of them were together were when they were arguing about what to do and when they were fighting the Commission. While working under Ruby he was always by himself, none of the bodyguards were comfortable around him. Ruby says it was because they didn't like how he took over their jobs but Luther was pretty sure it was because of how he looked. Who wouldn't get freaked out seeing a man with the body of an ape… working for Ruby had been a lonely gig but it gave him something to do. He couldn't stand the thought of having to go back to being daddy's little soldier and not having any of his siblings in his life… 

"Ooh, in that case how about you get us some Chinese takeout? Wonton soup! And those little fortune cookies!"

Getting food, easy enough. Doesn't require too much thinking, all he has to do is walk in, order, pay, wait for the food, and leave.

"Wait!" Klaus stops him before he could leave the apartment, "Shouldn't you take your jacket?"

Shaking his head, Luther grins, "Nah, I like the rain. Getting wet won't bother me."

He had some of the money he saved up from his allowance on him, tucked away in his jeans. More than enough to buy food and drinks for the two of them. The money from his allowance… Luther's eyes widened, coming to a stop just outside of the apartment, how can he have forgotten about the allowance dad's been giving them? They've been given a weekly allowance ever since they were kids and old enough to know about the outside world.

He loves his father. Always has, and sadly enough, always will.

He knows that the majority of his so-called happy memories growing up are warped. His own mind working against him to protect him from the daily abuse their father did to them. Regardless, he truly did believe that he was happy. Happy to be number One, happy to be a member of the Umbrella Academy. If he was being honest, the only thing that Dad ever did for any of them, other than bringing them all together, was giving them a weekly allowance. Looking back on it, their allowance was definitely more than any normal kid would get, but that money became theirs. It was theirs to do with whatever they wished. He remembers how Ben and Five would always use some of their allowance to buy new books, notebooks, etc. Vanya would buy things he couldn't remember the name of what were used for maintaining maintenance on her violin. Allison would buy multiple things that he really couldn't remember other than knowing that most of it was makeup and clothing. Diego didn't spend his money often, when he did, it was on knives, cleaning equipment for said knives and little gifts for Grace. Klaus used to spend his money on buying more and more random decorations for his bedroom, but at some point after realizing how drugs dull the effects of his powers… that money went down the drain pretty quickly. 

Out of all of them, Luther was the only one who never spent his allowance. It was also the only thing he's ever lied about, growing up.

He didn't really have anything would need or want to buy. So anytime any of the others asked him what he bought or asked Grace to buy for him, he lied and said that all those model airplanes were things he bought. When actually each of those model airplanes has been left behind in the apartment complex that Dad bought and added on to the mansion.

His body was about seventeen to eighteen years old, he wasn't entirely sure just yet but considering the date he should be eighteen… which meant he had roughly nine years worth of savings hidden in his bedroom back up the academy. That… that was a lot of money. If he was counting correctly then it had to be a couple hundred thousand dollars saved up. There was an inkling of an idea beginning to form. It sounded crazy and left him more nervous and having to walk through a crowd of strangers but– if this works then, maybe he could help at least one of his siblings.

First things first, he needs to order some Chinese food.

* * *

It took him a couple of days to set everything up, during which he gained a better understanding of what was going on during this time.

Dad and Pogo were apparently out of the country, attending some sort of board meeting. This wasn't really surprising considering how often dad went on one of his trips throughout their childhood, he can't remember though if Pogo ever went with him before. That left just Grace and him at the house. After he snuck back into that apartment complex building and ate take-out with Klaus, they'd gone their separate ways. It took a little over an hour of them eating in silence, somewhat silence- Klaus kept talking to thin air, and Luther was almost positive that it really was Ben that Klaus kept talking too. But a little over an hour into them sitting there, eating, Klaus started talking to him. He started telling him about everything he's been up to ever since leaving the house. Thinking back on it, despite the way Klaus had joked around and kept laughing while making snarky little comments, he looked… sad. Defeated almost. 

If that was how Klaus acted after a few days, then Luther was terrified to think about how miserable all those years spent away from the academy on his own must have left his brother.

That plan he had? He acted before even fully figuring out what he needed to do. He needed to make sure that he had a way to get in touch with Klaus.

The way Klaus seemed thoroughly shocked but also somehow pleasantly surprised when Luther dragged him to the nearest phone place and bought two simple looking cellphones made Luther feel better about his plan. More determined to see it through. He made sure to get a warranty on both of them and the most durable case they had to offer for Klaus’s. He wasn't sure how rough of a lifestyle his brother had but he knew that without even being told, more often than not Klaus got into fights. It was because he didn't know whether or not Dad would come home while he was still out that after making sure that they had each other's numbers saved in their phones, Luther rushed back to the house. That was his main reason for leaving so quickly, and because the way Klaus kept staring at him… Luther knew he hadn't been as good of a brother as he should have been, but it wasn't until his own brother stared at him as though he was a stranger just because of a little bit of kindness between them that Luther realized how messed up the relationship between all of them was.

As soon as he got home, he raced up the stairs, running past a smiling Grace, and darted into his bedroom. It wasn't until he pulled his cellphone back out to look at it that he realized he forgot to add the others' cell phone numbers into their phones. He quickly saved Vanya's cell phone number and Allison's. He wound up saving the numbers for the police station and Al's boxing place as Diego's contact. He never found out if Diego had a cell phone or not.

After that, it took him all of three days to put the plan into motion. It took him a little while to find a way to open up a bank account without it being linked back to the mansion. 

He was well aware that his status as a Umbrella Academy member was what prompted the courthouse to rush his request in changing his name. Usually that could take anywhere from a day to about six months. It wasn't until he went looking for his birth certificate in dad's study that he realized that he was legally named the number One. The others took their birth certificates with them when they all left… did they have to get a name change too?

Klaus has only been out of the house for a few days, he doubted that he made his way down to a courthouse and got his name changed. It wasn't until he was filing the paperwork that he considered changing his last name as well. Maybe lie and say that he wanted to go by his original–biological family's name. Only he couldn't bring himself to go through with it. One, it bothered him to consider using that lie when he didn't even know his biological family's name. Two, while he shared the last name with Dad, he also shared it with all of his siblings. He… he loves them, all of them. Even their father, despite knowing that Reginald Hargreeves was a man who adopted seven children just to mold them into his personal weapons.

Dad never loved them, though Luther knew how easy it was to pretend that he did. Despite his initial thoughts... He changed his name from One to Luther and left his last name alone.

He'll keep it, only because of the link it provided him to each of his siblings.

He's purposely avoiding thinking about Ben and Five's birth certificates he saw stuffed into an old folder with his own. He's definitely not going to think about how under the section where the mother's name is written, the name was the same on both his and Five's birth certificates. It was normal to him that dad's name was written on their certificates under where it said the fathers name should go, after all he did adopt all of them and there wasn't any father's to begin with. Five and him having the same name written down where their mothers name should be… it had to be a coincidence. Dad would have mentioned it if any of them were twins, wouldn't he?

This will probably have to be one of the things he needs to wait until 2019 to find out about. 

Once Five returns home, he can talk to him about everything. He's holding on to hope, wishing that as time goes on the others will remember everything and that he won't have to wait until 2019 to find out if the apocalypse is stopped or not. If they all remember then they can work together and keep it from happening. If they all remember, they could protect each other if any wayward commission agents arrived. If they all remember then no one will have to cry on the anniversary of Fives' disappearance… for the others, it's been about five years since he vanished. Did they remember him as vividly as he did? Or was his memory still so fresh because of the future, because he's already been reunited with Five? Did they think he died?

No. No, this was not something he needed to worry about, not yet. 

As much as he wished Five was here, Luther knew that his focus right now should be on the siblings that were actually here, within reach.

They may not remember now, but until they do, he could try his best to change things. To help them live the lives they both want and deserve.

He didn't want to think about how he wanted them to remember so badly because at the moment? He's never felt more alone.

It didn't take him long to find a suitable place. There was an apartment building located on Milton avenue, less than a block away from Griddy's donuts. It was a bit closer to the academy then he would have preferred but Griddy's donuts was always a place they were happiest when they were kids. That and the landlord was an older woman he had saved during the solo mission a few years ago. All it took was one day to get a name change and some research done, another day to contact everyone he needed to contact while setting up auto pay for bills, and the third day he spent going around to different shops and ordering necessities online.

It wasn't much but the two bedroom apartment, with a few simple things should be more than enough for now. At first he was looking for a studio apartment, similar to the one they hid out in a few days ago but then he got to thinking…

Ben and Klaus were always together, right?

Well, just because one of them was dead didn't mean they couldn't each have their own areas in the apartment. One bedroom for Klaus and another for Ben. He ended up only ordering one mattress and bedframe to be delivered, but carried a nice looking bench he got at a second hand store to the second bedroom for Ben. He didn't know how interacting with things worked as a ghost but he didn't feel comfortable just leaving the bedroom empty either.

Plus, this way if Klaus tries questioning him, he can always say the second bedroom is to be used as a guest bedroom.

All In all, considering it's only been three days, he thinks he did a pretty good job of changing things so far. Tomorrow morning he'll message Klaus and set up a meeting, maybe he'll take his brother out to eat before handing over the keys to the apartment. Well, one of the keys. He made sure to keep a copy with him, tucked snugly into the folds of his wallet.

At least with an apartment to call his own, he won't have to worry about Klaus getting into as much trouble as he undoubtedly got into in the first time they lived this life. Klaus doesn't have a job but the rent would automatically get taken out of his bank account, Luther made sure to keep enough of his savings in his account that the apartment will be good to go for the next three years. Until he signs a new lease.

Just before getting into bed, he sends out a text message. The first text message he's ever sent on this cellphone.

From **Luther** to **Klaus**

_10:34 pm_

**Luther:** Hey Klaus, if you are free would you mind meeting up with me tomorrow morning? Around 9:00? We can meet at Griddy's donuts, it'll be my treat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short but it's more like a filler for what I plan on writing in the next chapter.


	4. Change on the Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I ADDED MORE TO THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let you guys know that I did go back and add to the previous chapter, I added a little over a thousand words. Please reread that!

Klaus didn't answer him until a couple of minutes before 9:00 but that's okay, Luther had a feeling he might not get there on time. That's why Luther didn't leave the Mansion until 9:00 on the dot. Klaus technically didn't say whether or not he was coming, all he did was send a bunch of emojis and then the word waffles in all caps but he assumed that meant he would be there. 

These past few days have been the most he's ever been out of the house.

He remembers that after the others all left the academy, he didn't really feel comfortable going out on his own. It's not like dad, Grace, or Pogo would offer to go out with him. More often than not he would spend the days preparing for missions up until his accident. Then he passed time by exploring every room in the mansion, and just listening to songs on repeat… he never did much. It was just the same schedule, day in and day out. Nothing changed even after getting sent up to the Moon.

This… this was different, but a good different. Luther actually found himself looking forward to going out and meeting up with Klaus. Of course, it was a force of habit to try and avoid crowds. He's still not used to having such a small body.

quite a few people may not have recognized him as a member of the umbrella academy, but they did stop to stare at him every time he tripped over nothing and would jolt away from others despite them not even being within touching distance from him. It was– embarrassing. He was all too glad to rush into Griddy's and sit all the way in the back. Even when they were kids he preferred to sit in the back, that way he could keep an eye on who came in and left, and who would be walking past them. It was always his job. He was number One, he needed to be aware of their surroundings in case something happened. He needed to be able to keep the others safe…

He's done a pretty shitty job at that.

All he managed to do was fuel arguments between them all, he couldn't even convince any of them to stay together for longer than a couple of minutes at most. Out of everyone, despite his- his attitude, Five was the one who looked out for all of them. He's been protecting them for all those years… even though he had been trapped in the aftermath of the Apocalypse, all Five thought about was getting home to them. Saving them.

This time, he'd be there for them all. He'll be the big brother they should have had by their sides all along. Maybe… maybe with his help, when Five comes home… he can focus on being happy, rather than scrambling to find answers to stopping the apocalypse.

Luther froze, just for a moment. Was he supposed to tell Five, if he doesn't remember, what caused the Apocalypse?

... Should he try to get Vanya to stop taking those anxiety pills dad gave her or would that just jumpstart the Apocalypse? She lost control of her powers that night because of how angry she had been but he was also pretty sure it was because she went cold turkey. Stopping the medication all at once couldn't have been good for her. Who knows what dad had inside those pills. Has he drugged all of them? Vanya with her anxiety medication… Luther noticed how the two weeks after Klaus first started getting high, dad started keeping higher doses of narcotics in the infirmary. Of course, after the initial two weeks when Klaus spent every waking moment drugged to the gills and high off his ass, dad made sure to keep all of the medication locked away except for a small bottle of Tylenol. Then there was the incident with him, dad had given him some type of experimental drug without his consent. Had he done something similar with the others? There were nights after missions when Ben would always say how the Horror was restless… Grace would bring Ben a glass of water with a small pill that they never learned the name of. It was something used to help him fall asleep.

Luther can't remember if Diego or Allison ever had to have some nameless medication assigned to them other than a bit of pain medication after getting hurt on a few missions.

Five never mentioned having to take anything either… then again, even before he time traveled to the Apocalypse, he had always kept to himself. Never talking to them about his special training or if he had gotten injured during their missions. Luther jolted back, his knee coming up and slamming against the underside of the table as a pair of hands slapped down a few inches away from his fingers.

"Whoa–" Klaus leaned back into the seat across from him, Luther couldn't help but wonder when Klaus showed up, "What's the matter, big guy? Why are you so jumpy?"

_ Big guy _ . Luther fought against the urge to snap at Klaus. 

It's been so long, he forgot that was actually a nickname that the others gave him even before his accident. That didn't mean he was able to ignore the instinctive reaction to curl in on himself, to appear smaller.

"... Luther?"

Shit. This was not how he wanted to start the day. Klaus had no idea about any of his issues… he didn't need to know about any of his issues. Slowly taking a deep breath in, Luther forced himself to relax.

"Sorry. I got a bit… lost in thought. When did you get here?"

Klaus's brow furrowed but after a glance to Luther's right he dropped the issue, "Just showed up! I haven't kept you waiting have I? Because I'm not going to lie, I'm not exactly used to using a cell phone just yet. I didn't even realize you messaged until I woke up!"

Luther noticed the way Klaus seemed to look at something next to him rather than at him. Was Ben sitting next to him? He hoped so, he had moved in on the seat so that he could sit against the wall and feel the coldness coming from the window, but he definitely wouldn't be opposed to having his brother sit next to him. At least, he hoped it was Ben sitting next to him and not some random ghost following him around… Klaus was still high, it was pretty obvious to tell once you looked at him, so it was unlikely that he was looking at a random ghost.

Just in case it was Ben, Luther made sure to keep his legs on his side and his arm up on the table rather than hanging by his side where it might pass through Ben.

"Nah, I had the feeling that may happen so I didn't leave the house until after you responded." Luther grinned, "I did already order though. It's pretty early so I just ordered some breakfast, if you want something else though you can tell our waitress when she comes over."

Klaus snatched up a menu and quickly began looking through it. As he started listing off a few things he wanted to try, Luther told him how he already ordered it for them to try. Klaus seemed pleased so he assumed that he managed to remember Klaus's favorites right. 

Luther decided not to mention how he also ordered an extra platter of waffles with pecan syrup for Ben.

Ghosts can't eat since they're dead and all, but he thought that Ben would have appreciated still being included. Besides, if Klaus didn't end up eating them then Luther would.

After talking about the food and what Luther ordered, they round up sitting there and somewhat awkward silent while waiting for the food to arrive. Klaus kept tapping his nails against the table and bouncing his legs enough that his knee kept bumping into Luthers'. 

Luther was scrambling to think of something to talk about before he remembered the issue with their cell phones, "Oh! Lemme see your phone. I forgot to put the other numbers in before I went back to the house."

"What other numbers?"

"Vanya and Allison's. I don't actually have a cell phone number for Diego but I can put in the number to the police academy, if you want?"

Klaus hummed, taking out his cell and sliding it across the table toward Luther. This time the silence between them was more comfortable rather than awkward. Luther worked on carefully putting in each number and updating the contact information so that all of their contacts would have their name as well as reminders for birthdays and a notification for Christmas.

Luther already knew that he wouldn't be able to meet up with Klaus for this Thanksgiving. Grace left him a note in his bedroom about dad wanting him to go on some sort of mission that day.

It would be nice though if he could convince Klaus, after he tells him about the apartment, to let him host a Christmas get together and maybe they could invite the others.

By the time he finished setting everything up with the cell phone, Agnes, their waitress, was heading towards their table with four trays while another waitress followed behind her carrying two other trays. One had two milkshakes and a cup of coffee on it. Klaus whistled as all the food was spread out before them, Luther snorted at the way Anges looked at all the food then stared at them in disbelief.

"Oh, sweetheart is there anyone else coming?" Anges frowned nervously, "I didn't write down the wrong order did I? Would you like me to take anything back to the kitchen?"

"No, no it's fine," Luther chuckled, "I meant to order this much. I have a bit of a big appetite so, uh, yeah… and anything we don't eat we can just box it up and save it for later…"

Agnes seemed hesitant on walking away but a big smile from Klaus seemed to persuade her.

Klaus grinned at him with a child like glee as he quickly pulled one of the milkshakes toward him, moaning as he quickly drank some of it. Meanwhile, Luther cradled the hot cup of coffee in his hands and tried not to fidget as the few other patrons in the diner glanced over at them as Klaus's  _ noises  _ grew louder. As tempting as it was to immediately jump into the conversation and tell clouse about the appointment and everything he already ordered for him, Luther knew doing so would just ruin the nice atmosphere they had going on.

He'll wait until they are finished eating.

As Klaus was distracted by his milkshake and the food in front of him, Luther gently pushed the plate with pecan syrup to the side, right in front of the empty space where he hoped Ben to be.

If he just so happened to turn his head enough and smile gently at thin air then it was nobody's business but his own. It wasn't like Klaus was paying any attention and he had no way of telling if Ben noticed what he was doing or not… 

It was enough for him just to know that Klaus seemed to be enjoying himself. 

If Klaus wasn't complaining, or sassing someone he couldn't see then Luther assumed Ben was enjoying himself as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this update on my phone, so if there's any mistakes I'll have to go back later and fix them. I'll let you guys know next chapter if I end up adding more to this chapter.


	5. Body

"I bought you an apartment." Luther blurts out, just as Klaus takes a sip of what was left of his now melted milkshake.

That sip was apparently a lot bigger than he thought, barely a second passed after his poorly timed statement and Klaus choked– spitting up the milkshake and gaining a disgusted look from the younger waitress who had been on her way over toward them with the check. For a moment he debated whether or not to go speak with her, apologize and just grab the check himself- but the look on Klaus's face kept him from moving.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything.

Then, as though some sort of spell over him had broken, Klaus leaned back in his seat and shot Luther a narrow glare.

"You _what_?"

Luther winced, helplessly passing a wad of napkins over the table. Klaus snatched them out of his hand but didn't bother looking away as he cleaned up his mess. This… this was not the reaction he had been expecting. 

To be honest, he didn't exactly give too much thought to how Klaus would react to him getting him an apartment. He just thought that Klaus would take the keys and they could head over and check the place out. He didn't think Klaus would get upset with him over it. The original plan was to at least wait until they already left Griddy's and started walking toward the apartment before he brought it up. It was all too easy to imagine the stares they would have gotten had Klaus had this kind of outburst in the middle of the sidewalk...

"I… I got you an apartment?"

"Yes. That. That is what we need to definitely talk about. I'm not deaf you know, I did hear you." Klaus scoffed, the flapping of his arms giving away how he really felt, "What I don't understand is why?! Why did you buy me an apartment?!"

"Answer me honestly," Luther hesitated for a brief second, "ever since Dad kicked you out… where have you been staying?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Damnit. He had been hoping that there was at least a small chance that Klaus would surprise him and say he's been staying with a friend, or even at a shelter.

Luther sighed, "Klaus, I'm almost positive that you've been living in the streets."

"So what?!" Klaus snapped, "Not all of us have dear old daddy's wallet to fall back on."

Luther bristled at that comment but tried his best to not let it get to him. Klaus was just getting defensive about himself. He must be upset that Luther is calling him out like this. Back in the sixties, he had been homeless for a little over a week before meeting one of Ruby's goons and then meeting the man himself... Klaus must've been terrified when he realized he had no place to go... Luther supposed he was counting on that fear to cause Klaus to agree to move into the apartment- he never took into account anything else. Besides, it's not like he's entirely wrong, the money he used did belong to their dad... he's just using it for something else than originally planned.

"Yeah well, it's not like he knows that I had money saved up or that I got you someplace to fucking live." Luther frowned, "Shi-uh, sorry. I didn't mean to curse."

Klaus stared at Luther with wide, shocked, eyes.

"Since when do you curse?! A-And you're doing this… without his permission?"

"Yeah? You know he wouldn't agree to this, Klaus."

Did Klaus know that? Luther was pretty sure that Klaus always knew that Dad was an asshole to all of them… but what if he was just remembering incorrectly? What if this Klaus didn't know how bad Reginald Hargreeves was is?

"Of course he wouldn't," Klaus shuddered, "Ugh, I don't even want to try to imagine what type of place he would send me to and call it an apartment. But like… he's not making you do this as a way of forcing me into rehab?"

Luther gaped at him, did Klaus— did he seriously believe that their father would do something like that?

Would dad do something like that?

He wasn't sure if he was so against believing it because he didn't want to think of their dad doing something like that to Klaus or because he knew that Dad didn't care enough to bother sending Klaus to rehab. He couldn't tell which was worse.

"N-No. No! Jesus Klaus, the apartment's so that you have an actual place to live…" Luther looked Klaus in the eye, grim, "listen-listen, you were forced to leave the house pretty abruptly. You didn't have any time to plan for where to go, or what you need to do to keep a roof over your head. I know that… that dad is a fucking manipulative, abusive, asshole, okay? I know that! I wouldn't— damnit Klaus, I wouldn't let him use me to hurt any of you."

Not again, Luther thinks as he can't help but think back on all the times he willingly went along with dad's orders… even the ones that had him carrying his siblings to their rooms, to wait for dad to come in and punish them, and to go the night without supper if they misbehaved during interviews.

He played the role of the bystander, and aider all too often while they were kids.

Was that why Klaus was so distrustful toward him? It was a conditioned response from when they were younger?

"Okaaaaay," Klaus chuckled nervously, before suddenly stopping and looking off to the side, "Okay, but– What? No, I didn't, shut up–"

He never really realized how it felt to witness a conversation you wanted to be a part of and yet couldn't. Was this how Ben felt watching them?

He wanted to be able to hear Ben, to have an actual conversation with his brother, but this Klaus didn't even know he could manifest ghosts, and Luther hasn't had the chance to talk to Klaus about Ben. Klaus still didn't know that he knew about Ben's ghost. He still never apologized for not believing Klaus in the first place… it'll have to wait. First things first, getting Klaus to accept the apartment and then finish furnishing it. Maybe once they become more like an actual family— maybe then he could sit down and have a heart to heart with his-now technically younger brother.

That was still something he was a bit… hung up on.

He always considered himself the older brother, it's a position he believed himself to be in ever since they were kids.

Only now, he really is the older brother. That is— until Five comes home. Then Five will technically be the oldest but despite that Luther doesn't think he'll be able to see Five as the older brother when he still looks like his thirteen-year-old self.

Fingers snapping in front of his face jolted him back to awareness. Luther scowled at a sheepish-looking Klaus.

"Heh… Sorry about that buddy, but you weren't answering me."

"What did you say?"

"I said," Klaus looked away briefly before meeting Luther's eyes, "I said that you can show me to the apartment… if you want."

Luther didn't think he would be able to keep himself from smiling even if he tried. Not that he wanted to.

"Okay! Let me pay real quick then we can head over!"

Luther hesitated for a split second before sliding across the booth and getting up. Klaus stopped looking at the space next to him so Luther hoped Ben had moved somewhere else and that he didn't just go through his brother. Thankfully there weren't a lot of customers in the diner, there was no one waiting at the counter so he could pay quickly and get back to Klaus. Agnes happily rang him up, although the other waitress just up and left the moment he walked up to the counter… Luther tried not to let it show how that bothered him.

He didn't look like a monster. He didn't. 

Now if only he could stop feeling like one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of want to try writing a chapter through one of the other characters point of view. Maybe Klaus? Or Ben?

**Author's Note:**

> Most chapter titles will be based on songs I listened to while writing this :)


End file.
